Timber-hewing machine.



Np. 827,251. l

W. K. MELTON..- TIMBER HEWING MACHINE-,

' APPLICATION IILEDJULYI?. 19.05.

Attorn eys PATENTED JULY 31,1906.

- -IINITEE nsTATEs PATENT oEEIoE. 1 f

WILLIAM K. MELToN, .IAMEs e.

oE BIvINs, TEXAS, Ass'IGNoR oE ONE-HALE' ToY KING, oE ATLANTA, TEXAS. n

TIMBER-HEWING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application nea :my 17,` 1905. serial No. 270,094.

Patented July 31, 190e.

4To a/ZZ whom, it may concern,.-

f ins, in the county of Cass and State of Texas,

have invented a new and useful Timber-Hew- .ing Machine, of which the following is a speci- -iicationz My invention relates to woodworking-L machines, and especially to machines for hewingy timbers or railroad-ties.

The object of my invention is to provide a device of the class described which may be easily transported vand which is designed to o erate upon the work at the place where the timber lies. l

It is welll known thatin railroad construc- `tion'hewed ties are regarded as more durable than sawed ties, but are objected to on ac- .count of their usual inequalities. zo Itis an obj ect of my invention to provide a lmachine which may be cheaply constructed and operated by one man and'which will produce faces u f arallel an possess .the advantages of a ewed tie.

With these and other objects in view the present invention consists in the combination' land arrangement of parts, as ,will-.be hereinafter fully described, shown'in the accompa, 3o nyingdrawin s, and'particularlypointedout` in the appen ed claims, it being understood -that'changes in vthe form, pro ortions,"size,' vandminor details maybe ma e without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of its advantages. A

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective: view of my improved timber-hewing machine mounted in operative position upon a log. Fig. 2 isa view of my improved timber- 4o -hewing machine in end elevation. Fig. Sis a "lon itudinal sectional view of. my improved tim er-hewing machine, takenv` on line 3- 3` of Fi 2. p p ike characters/of reference designate coI'-, responding parts throughout the several views. y" j In the preferred Iembodiment of my inven- -tion Imount an elongated rack-bar 1 upon a f; 'log 2 by'driving into the'wood. The rackl is; further secured .by clamping members 4 engaging the end of `the-tie' op osite the point 3 and rigidly secured '.by-thefbo t 5.l IWhen mounted as above, the

@Pf-f "rack-bar f1- extends longitudinally of thework on a tie substantially plane and a laterally-extendingk point 3 I and is. rovidedwith the flanges 6, extending v K. MELTON,`

throug out its length.J

.f Slidable upon the rack 1 are mounted guides 7, having grooves .8 engaging the flanges 6. The guides are connectedfby a transverse pin 9, upon which are slidably 6o mounted reci rocatIng chock members 1.0,

having their ower ends upturned and provided'with cutting edges 11, which at each upward movement of said members enter the kerf or'slit 'in the bottom of the log produced 6 5 by the knives 14 and serve tospace the ad- -`acent split edges of the log apart to permit thefreepassage of said knives and also to assist Vin holding the machine in position on the v operation. Pivoted 7o log during the cutting betweenithe vertically-disposed guides 7 is an operating-lever 12, the curved end 13 of which ispivoted to thechock members 10, as shown. ,Pivoted to the lever 12 at the rear rof the guides 7are the knivesY 14, thelatter 75 vbeing vprovided with obliquely-disposed" cutting edges 15 and so arranged that when vertically reciprocated by the lever 12 they will cut the timber to form oppositely-disposed plane surfaces 16. yAfeed-pawl 17'is pivoted 8o at 18 to the knives 14 and 1s also pivoted at an intermediatejointl between vthe guides 7, as shown. The free end of the pawl 17 is 'curved downwardly at 19 and terminates in ra tooth or'spur 20, adapted to engage the 85 teeth on the rack 1, so that when the free end of thelever 12 is elevated the spur 20:.will be e forced into engagement with rack and advance the knives .and `chock members longitudinally'of the ylog the distance of oneftooth. 9o lAsa means forlpreventing rearward movement of the chock members 10 a lockin pawl 21; ispivoted at 22 between thegui e members 7 with its freeenddisposedbetween ythe knives `14`and inposition tol engage'the 95 teeth'on the rack-bars atthe rear of said chock `members, Vas shown. The adjacent' sides `of the chock members 10 are formed with oppo- `s'itelyedis osed slots'23,` the walls of which VengageY t e adjacent endsof'the pin "9'y and roo `serve to guide said members and permitvertical movementA of the same; l

The operation of the Vmachineis'l ras follows :qu One end of the log is rsthewed with an' adz or other suitable tool for a. short distance Vand 'the rack :1k then` secured to the log by driving ythe spur 3 into the top of said log, after which Y,the members 4 are clampedto'the hewe'diend of the log by means of the bolt 5 and the chocking members carrying the lever 12 placed in position with the flan es 6 engaging the grooves 8, as shown. The. ee end of the. lever 12 is then depressed, which causes the knife-edges 1.5 to cut downwardly through the log in parallel planes and at the same time causes the cutting edges of the chocking members 10 to enter the kerf or slit produced by the knives 14 and force the adjacent split edges of the timber apart, so as to permit the 'free passage of said knives and revent the latter from Wedging in the timl er. When the free end of the voperating-lever is elevated, it yreleases the chocking members irom yengagement with the kerf or slit and .at the4 same time causes the :spur '20 to engage the teeth on the rack 1, thereby moving the -chockin-g members :and knives 14 longitudinally of the log, the locking-pawl .'21 y engagement With the teeth on the rack at the rear of the achocking members preventing rearward movement of the device.

It Will be understood that the initial down- -Ward movement of the lever 12 causes the cutting yedges of the '.chocking members to cu-t or score the bottom of the log., so as to i.cause the latter to split straight, the free .ends ofthe .'chocking members being forced Within the V.kerf or slit caused by the knives 14 on a subsequent downward movement of said lever. vIt `will also be understood that .-a continued -movement of the loperating-lever will fadvance the checking members .and knives 14 AWith :a :step-by-step movement until the entire -log has been cut or severed.

Having thus described the invention, what vis claimed is` 1. In a timber .hevving machine, a plurality of knives disposed in parallel planes and :ada ted to engage the adjacent surface of the wor and means :for :advancing the .knives longitudinally of the Work 2. In a timber-hewing machine, a plurality of reciprocatin knives disposed in parallel planes and a apte-d to engage the .adjacent surface of the Work, .and means for advancing the knives longitudinally y.of-the `Work.

In a timber-.hewing machine., a plurality of reciprocating knives disposed in paral yel planes and adapted to engage the adjacent :surface of the Work, .and means for advancing the knives with ra fstep-by-step movement 4. In a timber-hewing machine, .a plurality of knives disposed in parallel planes and .ada ted to engage the adjacent surface of the Wor chocking members disposed in advance of the knives, and mea/ns for advancing said knives Iand checking members longitudinally-of the Work.

y5. In :a timber-hevvihg machine, a knife adapted to engage the Aadjacent Asurface of the Work, a chocking member adapted to. enter,

the kerf formed by the knife, and means for advancing said knife and chocking member longitudinally ofthe Work.

6. In a timber-hewing machine, a cuttingblade adapted to engage the adjacent surface of the Work, la chockin member disposed in advance of the cuttinglade and adapted to enter the kerf formed by the latter, and means for simultaneously advancing the cutting-blade and checking member longitudinally ofthe Work.

7. In a timber-hewing machine, a .cuttingblade adapted to engage the adjacent surface of the Work, a checkin-g member adapted to enter the kerf formed y the cutting-blade, means for .simultaneously moving lsaid blade and checking member into engagement with the Work, and means for advancing said eutting-blade and rchocking member longitudinally of the Work.

8. In a timber-hewin machine., a plurality of cutting-blades isposed in parallel planes and adapted to :engage the adjacent surface of the Work, s aced checking members adapted to enter tiie kerfs formed by the cutting blades, means for simultaneously moving the cutting-blades and chocking members into en agement with the work, and means for avancmg said blades and chocking members longitudinallyof theWork.

.9. In a timber-hewing machine, a plurality of cutting-blades disposed in arallel planes and adapted to engage the a jacent surface of the Work, chocfkin :members adapted -to .enter the kerzfs forme by the cutting-blades, a hand-operated lever pivotally connected with the lcutting-blades and chocking member for simultaneously moving the same into engagement with the Work, and means for advancing the cuttin -blades .and :checking members longitudinaly @of the Work with a step-by-step movement.

AliO. In a tiinber-hewing machine, a rackbar, a supporting-trame mounted for longitudinal 'movement thereon, sa plurality of icutting-blades disposed in parallel planes :and .adapted to engage the adjacent surface of the Work, checking members ydisposed in alinement with the Acutting-blade and adapted to enter the kerfs formed .by the latter., a pivotal connection between the sup ortingrame and the cutting-bladesand -c` ockin members for simultaneously moving sai blades and members into en agement with the work, and :a pawl adaptef to enga e the rack-:bar for advancing the :blades and le ooking members longitudinally of the Work.

11. In a timber-hewing machin-e., a rackbar provided with fguidin -l anges, a supporting-frame mounted for ongitudin'al movement on the rack-bar and provided with guideWay-recesses for the reception of said llanges, {cutting-blades disposed in parallel planes and :adapted to engage the adjacent IOO IIO

surlaceof the Work, checking members adapt- I 3o frame and pivotally connected to the cuttingpivotall va plurality of cutting-blades disposed in par-- ed to enter the kerfs formedby the cuttingblades, a lever pivoted tothe supportingblades and chockin members, respectively, a paWl pivoted to the supporting-frame and movable into engagement With the rack-bar by the movement of said lever for advancing the cutting-blades longitudinally of the Work, and a paWl adapted to engage said rack-bar for preventing backward movement of said cuttin -blades.

12. n a vtimber-heWing machine, a rackbar, means for clamping the rack-bar to the Work, a supporting-frame mounted for longitudinal movement on the rack-bar, a plurality of spaced cutting-blades disposed in parallel planes and adapted to engage the adj acent surface of the Work, chocking members disposed in alinement With the cutting-blades an adapted to enter' the kerfs forme by the latter, a paWl pivoted to the blades and supporting-frame, respectively, and adapted to enga e the rack for advancing the blades longitu inally of the Work, means for preventing backward movement of the blades, and a lever pivoted to the supporting-frame and connected With the chocking members an cutting-blades, respectively, for simultaneously moving the same intoengagement With the Work.

13. In a timber-heWing machine, a longitudinally-disposed guide,a supportin -frame mounted for sliding movement on sai guide,

allel planes and adapted to engage the adjacent surface of the Work, pins extending laterally from the supporting-frame', chockin members adapted to enter the kerfs forme by the cutting-blades and provided With slots for the reception of said pins, a lever ivoted i to the frame and pivotally connecte to the cutting-blades and chocking members, respectively, for simultaneously moving the same into engagement With the Work, and

meanspfor advancing said blades and chocking members longitudinally lof the Work.

14. In a timber-heWing machine, a plurality of knives disposed in arallel planes and having inclined cutting e ges adapted to engage the adjacent surface of the Work, chocking members disposed in alinement With the cuttin -blades and adapted to enter the kerfs forme by the cutting-blades, a pivotal connection betWeen members for simultaneously moving the same into engagement With the Work, and means for advancing said blades and chocking members longitudinally of the Work.

15. In a timber-hewing machine, a rackbar having lateral guiding-Iianges and provided With la depending spur adapted to be driven into the Work, clamping members carried by the rack-b ar, a supporting-frame slidably mounted on the guiding-flanges, cuttingblades disposed in parallel planes and adapted to engage the adjacent surface of the Work, chocking members mounted for vertical movement on the frame and provided With upwardly extending cutting edges adapted to enter the kerfsin the base of the Work formed by the cutting-blades, a lever pivoted to the frame and pivotally connected With the cutting-blades and chocking members, respectively, a paWl pivoted to the cutting-blades and adapted to engage the rackbar for advancing the blades longitudinally of the Work, and a paWl pivoted to the frame and adapted to engage said lrack-barV at the rear of the chocking members for preventing backward movement of said frame.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as myoWn I have hereto afliXed my signature in the presence of tWo Witnesses.l

WILLIAM K. MELTON.

Witnesses:

JN0. J. ELLINGTON. F. R. BLADES. 

